BLACKMAILING THE SENATE

President Bush has nominated retired federal Judge Michael Mukasey for Attorney General. Under questioning in the Senate Judiciary Committe, Mukasey gave two very troubling answers. One was that he didn't know if waterboarding was torture. And the other was that the President could disobey any law if "what goes outside the statute nonetheless lies within the authority of the president to defend the country". In other words, the President can break the law if he says he's doing it to defend the country. That sounds dangerously vague and open to interpretation. In fact, for a President who has declared a permanent state of war, it could be argued this encompasses a wide range of domestic and foreign activities and policies.

However, Senator Schumer has stated he is voting for Mukasey. And his reason?? To avoid a worse recess appointment.

How ironic. Rather than keeping within the spirit of the law, President Bush has basically laid out new rules - if you don't like this nominee, I'll appoint one you'll hate even more while you're not in session.

Recess appointments were supposed to take care of the circumstance in which a post is suddenly vacated and it is critical to fill it immediately. The point was not to allow the President to bypass Congressional oversight. However, in his by now familar role as Bully-in-Chief, this President will apparently get his choice of nominee by hook or by crook.